Battletech Roleplaying/Miniatur­es campaign

This first meeting we will be playing out a battle with battletech miniatures that will have important implications for the upcoming roleplaying sessions. If we have time, afterwards we will create characters for the rest of the campaign. Should expect to be there 3 to 5 hours(or longer if stragglers are willing to stay to make characters) This campaign will be 65 to 75% roleplaying and 25 to 35% miniatures sessions but that is not set in stone. Following is my brief description of the game:

The year is 3030 and man has expanded into space in a radius of over 500 light years from Terra (earth) into what is known as the Inner Sphere. Beyond lies the periphery states and then the unknown. Civilization reached its height several hundred years ago under one empire known as the Star League, but that all collapsed into brutal civil wars known as the Succession wars, where the Inner Sphere splintered into 5 groups and was driven into barbarism and neo-feudalism. Much science and technology has been lost (in what is referred to as Lostech) and today the 5 states struggle against each other in the 4th Succession War.
Today these wars are fought with the remaining battle machines of the Star League era known as Battle Mechs. These Battlemechs are 25 to 40+ foot tall robotic tanks piloted by mechwarriors, the elite warriors of the 31st century. Although society is capable of modifying and fixing these machines some of the technology, such as the ability to build the fusion drives that run these war engines, has been lost.
You are a mechwarrior (or possibly an aerospace fighter pilot) who doubles as an intelligence agent working for a mercenary unit focused on maintaining liberty for the people from much of the Tyranny of the Inner Sphere.

You are garrisoned on the planet of Unzmarkt fighting against Draconis Forces on the side of the Lyran Commonwealth and what will hopefully become a reborn empire: The Free Rasalhague Republic. But first worlds must be won to free the Republic from the grip of the Combine. The mercenary unit, Burke's Bastards, has been hired directly by the leaders of the Rasalhague Republic and is independent from Lyran Commonwealth forces. Important leaders from the Rasalhague free Republic and Lyran diplomats along with Lyran Duke Selvin Kelswa are secretly meeting in the capital while unknown jumpships have appeared at the Nadir of Unzmarkt's sun. Following a brief air superiority battle, Draconian drop ships have landed outside of agricultural centers and several major cities. Lyran troops have responded by land and air with a mixed regiment of mechs, troops, and fighters. Of the battalion of mechs from your Merc unit that were left to defend the capital complex and the Rubellite Bastion where the heads of state are secretly meeting, your Mech lance is the only remaining unit at the capital defense base. The rest of your company is defending a front on the east side of the city at intervals up to 10 klicks out, protecting the capital from invasion.

The 5 empires are as follows:

The Lyran Commonwealth based on a Western European feudal state model focused on Capitalism led by House Steiner
The Federated Suns also based on a Western European feudal state model focused more on military dominance and freedom for its citizens led by House Davion
The Capellen Federation based on Chinese culture and in some ways reminiscent of Communist China and Russia led by House Laio
The Draconis Combine, based on Japanese Feudal society led by House Kurita
The Free Worlds League based on a group of separate but united democratic states under the leadership of House Marik
There is also the existence of the secretive Commstar which is a religious organization based on the preservation of science and technology that is responsible for all intersteller communications throughout the Innersphere. Without Commstar and its communications network, the Innersphere would dissolve into complete barabarism.

I think it was cool to face the 'big' mechs, but we could probably have used less little mechs. Our biggest issue was rolls and visibility. If we had known how many we were facing, or what we couldn't see then we could have planned better. It was fun either way. I don't mind losing. :)

Could have used more time as the battle seemed far from finished but it worked out ok for the scenario. Will have to run another Battletech scenario as a one shot some time. Hopefully will have the rules down better the more I play.

Important leaders from the Rasalhague free Republic and Lyran diplomats along with Lyran Duke Selvin Kelswa are secretly meeting in the capital while unknown jumpships have appeared at the Nadir of Unzmarkt's sun. Following a brief air superiority battle, Draconian drop ships have landed outside of agricultural centers and several major cities. Lyran troops have responded by land and air with a mixed regiment of mechs, troops, and fighters. Of the battalion of mechs from your Merc unit that were left to defend the capital complex and the Rubellite Bastion where the heads of state are secretly meeting, your Mech lance is the only remaining unit at the capital defense base. The rest of your company is defending a front on the east side of the city at intervals up to 10 klicks out, protecting the capital from invasion.

All you need to bring is a pencil and some different pairs of 6 sided dice, I will provide the rest. I have some maps to play on, I will print up some mech sheets, and I have about 35 minis to choose from (although most of them aren't painted yet). @Frank: Liao is losing a lot of territory in this 4 succession war to the Federated Commonwealth which is a merger of the Lyrans and Federated Suns. Effectively I think it was Hanse Davion who offered Melissa Steiner the Capellan Federation in exchange for her hand in marriage. This is what started the 4th Succession war.

Yeah, that's right...been quite a number of years (20 maybe?) since I last played. I also have a lot of mapsheets, minis (metal and plastic), books, House Davion ballcap, and other swag from conventions past. About the time I stopped was the start of the Clans invasion. My favorite tactic (when it worked) was the Death from Above attack...loved caving in Mech-Heads where the pilot usually sat...ker-runch!!

Haha, would be great if you could make it, your experience would be a plus. I don't know if you have heard of the Jihad... that is some of the most recent stuff and then there are the Dark Ages that are post Jihad... but I don't want to give away any campaign spoilers...

I thought Lyrans were someone else so I just went and checked...Lyran Confederation (Steiner), Federated Suns (Davion), Draconis Combine (Kurita), Free Worlds League (Marik), and The Capellans (Laio)...the latter I like to think of as the surrender monkeys, or was that Marik? Plus of course, Comstar (grrrrrr....). Haven't really played since 2nd edition game (or 1st edition Mechwarrior). Unsure of attendence yet, but to all interested...remember...DEATH FROM ABOVE!!!

By the way Battletech miniatures are played on a hexboard and have fairly simple rules, don't be afraid to give it a try, each Battlemech has its own scoresheet kind of like a rpg character. We will play with maybe 4 to 6 player mechs on the board. Later on we might also include aerospace fighter rules for anyone interested in playing those.